Tag Archives: Trump

Previews: The Economist Magazine – Nov 25, 2023

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The Economist Magazine (November 25, 2023): The latest issue features The Climate report – Some progress, must try harder….

Progress on climate change has not been fast enough, but it has been real

And the world needs to learn from it

The agreement at the conference of the parties (cop) to the un Framework Convention on Climate Change, which took place in Paris in 2015, was somewhat impotent. As many pointed out at the time, it could not tell countries what to do; it could not end the fossil-fuel age by fiat; it could not draw back the seas, placate the winds or dim the noonday sun. But it could at least lay down the law for subsequent cops, decreeing that this year’s should see the first “global stocktake” of what had and had not been done to bring the agreement’s overarching goals closer.

Lessons from the ascent of the United Arab Emirates

How to thrive in a fractured world

In Argentina Javier Milei faces an economic crisis

The radical libertarian is taking over a country on the brink

The New York Times — Friday, November 24, 2023

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Israel, Hamas Agree to Begin Cease-Fire Friday Morning

The relatives of children kidnapped on Oct. 7, along with families and supporters of hostages, protesting on Monday in Tel Aviv.

Prodded by the U.S., Israel agreed to the pause in hostilities and the release of 150 imprisoned Palestinians in exchange for 50 hostages held in Gaza.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Draws Spectators and Protests

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has brought holiday cheer for almost a century. This year, it also provided a stage for protesters.

The nearly century-old holiday tradition also provided a stage for activists.

Retailers Worry About Shoppers’ Mood This Holiday Season

Consumer spending has been strong in 2023 despite higher prices and waning savings. But some retailers have jitters heading into Black Friday.

Johnson’s Release of Jan. 6 Video Feeds Right-Wing Conspiracy Theories

The speaker fulfilled a demand of the far right, which has sought thousands of hours of footage to try to rewrite the history of the Capitol attack.

The New York Times — Thursday, Nov 23, 2023

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Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire May Start Friday, Followed by Hostage and Prisoner Release

Photographs of hostages in Ramat Gan, Israel, on Wednesday.

Both sides announced a four-day pause in the war between Israel and Hamas, but details were still being worked out.

Five Days of Chaos: How Sam Altman Returned to OpenAI

Sam Altman wears a tan sweater while posing in front of a brick wall.

On Friday, Mr. Altman was pushed out of the hot A.I. start-up he ran. But an intense pressure campaign and negotiations brought him back.

Extra Fees Drive Assisted-Living Profits

The add-ons pile up: $93 for medications, $50 for cable TV. Prices soar as the industry leaves no service unbilled. The housing option is out of reach for many families.

For Election Workers, Fentanyl-Laced Letters Signal a Challenging Year

As overheated rhetoric and threats rise, people are leaving election jobs in record numbers.

The New York Times — Wednesday, Nov 22, 2023

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Israel and Hamas Agree to Cease-Fire in Exchange for Hostage Release

Friends and relatives of people being held by Hamas took part in a “March for the Hostages” from Tel Aviv to the Israeli prime minister’s office in Jerusalem last week.

The agreement calls for a pause in the fighting and for Hamas to free 50 of the captives it seized in its Oct. 7 raid on Israel. Hamas said Israel would release 150 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

Families Fear for the Health of Ailing, Frail Israelis Held Hostage

People gathered in Tel Aviv on Monday to demand the release of those taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7. Many hostages had medical issues before they were taken captive, are very young or were hurt in the attack.

Many of the more than 200 people seized by Hamas when it raided Israel had serious medical conditions. Some were badly injured in the attack. Doctors say they need medical care urgently.

As A.I.-Controlled Killer Drones Become Reality, Nations Debate Limits

Worried about the risks of robot warfare, some countries want new legal constraints, but the U.S. and other major powers are resistant.

Before Altman’s Ouster, OpenAI’s Board Was Divided and Feuding

Sam Altman confronted a member over a research paper that discussed the company, while directors disagreed for months about who should fill board vacancies.

The New York Times — Tuesday, November 21, 2023

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Trump’s Dire Words Raise New Fears About His Authoritarian Bent

Former President Donald J. Trump has framed his campaign as the “final battle” against political adversaries, and he and his allies are devising plans for a second term that would upend some of the long-held norms of American democracy.

The former president is focusing his most vicious attacks on domestic political opponents, setting off fresh worries among autocracy experts.

Between Israelis and Palestinians, a Lethal Psychological Chasm Grows

Israeli security forces looking on as Palestinians prayed in Jerusalem in October. Nearby is a site sacred to both Jews and Muslims that has been one focus of tensions over the years.

In a conflict marked by complete incomprehension on both sides, the ability to see each other as human has been lost.

Behind 94 Acts of Shocking Violence, Years of Glaring Mistakes

New York officials have escaped scrutiny for repeated failures to help homeless mentally ill people, a New York Times investigation has found.

The Long Shadow of Steve Jobs Looms Over the Turmoil at OpenAI

Sam Altman, the most prominent promoter of artificial intelligence, learned that it’s hard to be a visionary founder like the Apple legend.

The New York Times — Monday, November 20, 2023

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Infants Moved From ‘Death Zone’ Hospital That Israel Says Was Hamas Hideout

A Palestinian medic caring for premature babies who were taken to a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

U.N. officials said 31 premature babies in precarious health were evacuated from Al-Shifa Hospital to a hospital further south in Gaza.

The Invisible War in Ukraine Being Fought Over Radio Waves

A visualization of the rapidly-changing frequencies of the Himera military radio, which features signal-hopping technology that makes it difficult to jam.

Using electromagnetic waves to flummox and follow smarter weapons has become a critical part of the cat-and-mouse game between Ukraine and Russia. The United States, China and others have taken note.

A 30-Year Trap: The Problem With America’s Weird Mortgages

One big reason the U.S. housing market is broken: Owners don’t want to give up their cushy old loans.

For Years, Two Men Shuttled Messages Between Israel and Hamas. No Longer.

Since 2006, Gershon Baskin, an Israeli peace activist, and Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas official, maintained a secret back channel between Gaza and Israel. Then Oct. 7 happened.

The New York Times — Sunday, November 19, 2023

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The War Turns Gaza Into a ‘Graveyard’ for Children

Waiting for treatment at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Thousands of children have been killed in the enclave since the Israeli assault began, officials in Gaza say. The Israeli military says it takes “all feasible precautions” to avoid civilian deaths.

A Jan. 6 Defendant Pleads His Case to the Son Who Turned Him In

A.J. Mock, left, with his father, Brian.

The Capitol attacks ruptured their mutual trust. In the weeks before Brian Mock’s sentencing, could he mend the divide with his son A.J.?

Why Is the College Board Pushing to Expand Advanced Placement?

This year, taxpayers paid the nonprofit at least $90 million for A.P. tests that many students failed.

Downtowns Are Full of Empty Buildings. Universities Are Moving In.

The stylish new Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center took over a former museum in Washington. It’s got potential to become a community hub.

The New York Times — Saturday, Nov 18, 2023

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Want to Know What’s Bedeviling Biden? TikTok Economics May Hold Clues.

“I think people have gotten angrier,” said Kyla Scanlon, a content creator who coined the term “vibecession” last year. “I think we’re actually in a worse vibecession now.”

Economic despair dominates social media as young people fret about the cost of living. It offers a snapshot of the challenges facing Democrats ahead of the 2024 election.

Santos Faces New Expulsion Push Led by His Own Party After Damning Report

Representative George Santos has survived two previous expulsion attempts.

The resolution from Representative Michael Guest, a Republican, sets the stage for a vote shortly after Thanksgiving.

Facing Financial Ruin as Costs Soar for Elder Care

The United States has no coherent system for providing long-term care, leading many who are aging to struggle to stay independent or to rely on a patchwork of solutions.

A Journey Into Northern Gaza: Ruins, Wreckage and Darkness

New York Times journalists traveled with an Israeli military convoy to catch a rare glimpse of conditions inside wartime Gaza. They saw houses flattened like playing cards, and a city utterly disfigured.

The New York Times — Friday, November 17, 2023

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Santos Won’t Seek Re-election After House Panel Finds Evidence of Crimes

Representative George Santos made the announcement after the release of a damning report by the House Ethics Committee, which found evidence he had broken federal law.

The findings, which were referred to prosecutors, are likely to prompt another attempt to expel the embattled congressman from the House.

Pressure Mounts as Israel Combs Through Gaza Hospital for Hamas’s Presence

Al-Shifa Hospital, in northern Gaza, is the enclave’s largest hospital complex.

The Israeli military said troops had uncovered a Hamas tunnel shaft underneath the Al-Shifa Hospital complex, as well as a vehicle on the hospital grounds packed with weapons.

Jewish Celebrities and Influencers Confront TikTok Executives in Private Call

TikTok faces escalating accusations that it promotes pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel content. “Shame on you,” Sacha Baron Cohen said on the call.

How R.F.K. Jr. Has Turned His Public Crusades Into a Private Windfall

The causes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has championed have brought him admiration, criticism — and tens of millions of dollars.

Previews: The Economist Magazine – Nov 18, 2023

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The Economist Magazine (November 18, 2023): The latest issue features The World Ahead 2024 – 90-page guide to the coming year; How the young should invest – Markets have dealt them a bad hand. They could be playing it better; Better ways to fund science – Too much of researchers’ time is spent filling in forms; The best films of 2023 – They featured cattle barons, chefs, composers, physicists and whistleblowers…

Donald Trump poses the biggest danger to the world in 2024

What his victory in America’s election would mean

Ashadow looms over the world. In this week’s edition we publish The World Ahead 2024, our 38th annual predictive guide to the coming year, and in all that time no single person has ever eclipsed our analysis as much as Donald Trump eclipses 2024. That a Trump victory next November is a coin-toss probability is beginning to sink in.

Will Japan rediscover its dynamism?

People shop along the streets of Shinsaibashi in Osaka, Japan

Rising prices and animal spirits give it a long-awaited opportunity

Global investors are giddy about Japan again. Warren Buffett made his first visit to Tokyo in more than a decade this spring; he has built up big holdings in five trading houses that offer exposure to a cross-section of Japan Inc. Last month Larry Fink, ceo of BlackRock, the world’s biggest asset manager, joined the pilgrimage to Japan’s capital. “History is repeating itself,” he told Kishida Fumio, the prime minister. He likened the moment to Japan’s “economic miracle” of the 1980s. Even disappointing gdp figures released on November 15th will not dent investors’ optimism.